Fluorine-containing compounds are widely utilized for industrial use such as polymer materials, coolants, cleaning agents, foaming agents, medicaments and pesticides. In particular, hydrofluorocarbons are used as refrigerants, foaming agents, and cleaning agents as alternative substances to chlorofluorocarbons. Moreover, fluorine-containing esters are expected to have uses as alternatives to electrolytes for lithium batteries.
Such fluorine-containing compounds are usually synthesized by utilizing fluorinating agents or fluorination catalysts such as antimony fluoride with organohalogen compounds such as hydrochlorocarbons.
However, since antimony pentafluoride is hygroscopic, there is a disadvantage that it emits smoke in a highly humid air and thus is difficult to handle (cf. Non-Patent Document 1).
In order to solve such a problem, there is proposed a method for making its handling easy by heating antimony pentafluoride and supporting it on graphite (cf. Non-Patent Document 2). However, since graphite is powdery, the product is not necessarily suitable for a flow-type reaction and also its activity tends to decrease under a reaction condition of high temperature owing to sublimation of antimony pentafluoride.
Non-Patent Document 1:
McKee, D. W.; Interrante, L. V.; Markiewicz, R. S., Program-Bienn. Conf. Carbon, 14, 276-7 (1979))
Non-Patent Document 2:
Lalancette, J. M.; Lafontaine, J., J. C. S. Chem. Comm., 815 (1973))